What's life without a little controversy? Well, the Stampede had some of their own this offseason with accusations of tampering. Was it, was it not? I don't know, but the Stampede lost their first round pick (7th overall) in this year's draft. While not the most exciting draft, it would have been nice to bring in another top tier prospect in addition to the 5th overall pick they received from the Steelhawks, and the 3rd and 4th overall picks from last season's draft.
The 5th pick ended up being the Stampede's only pick in this season's draft. They used it to select Dani Forsberg of the Prince George Firebirds. The 2-way forward from Sweden is the latest in a line of impressive Stampede prospects. Forsberg finished 6th in rookie scoring, and showed a scoring touch putting in more than 10 goals in his first campaign. His 2-way play was also shown in the firebirds playoff stint as he led his team in plus-minus and scored 2 goals and 2 assists in 7 games.
The future was the main topic for Stampede fans this offseason. Tommy Salami and Dante Gallo were slated to be on the team this year with Viktor Vorkampfer to take another year in the minors. While there were hopes that this season could be something special, most Stampede fans have their eyes on the prize a couple of seasons down the line, where they have the tools to do some real damage.
The S33 offseason was quiet for the Panthers with little changing, except for Ruttu moving to wing from his defensive position he has covered the last couple seasons.
Overall the team is improving and should be even more of a threat this season and in the post season.
Sebastian Strange has finished working on his finesse skills like shooting, puck handling and skating and now as the season begins is focused on his physicality, working in the weight lifting and later on his checking ability.
Offseason's are also a time to reflect and as such, Sebastian know he only has 3 or 4 quality seasons left and wants to do whatever it takes to win, before his career winds down.
For Sebastian offseason is also a time to spend with family and as each season passes it seems harder to get back into the grind of the SHL. However I think that's normal for any player starting to age and seeing no real progression to their game, as last year was a great disappointment after his 51 point performance the season earlier.
Sebastian's bank account is also dangerously low, so the winger will likely be forced to post some articles to keep up with training, which is something he hasn't needed to do in awhile. I think for Sebastian this feels more like work the pleasure and has also tainted his view on what it means to be a SHL player and how many more seasons he wants keep doing this.
This isn't to say the SHL is fun, it's saying Sebastian's priorities are changing as he gets closer to the golden years and what retirement would look like and when it makes the most sense.
What keeps Sebastian going is his teammates and GM, all of whom are awesome. He can definitely see how others could fade away if they don't have the right support/teammates.
As always however the length of the offseason is probably the biggest culprit for losing some interest to lace them up again, as once the season starts the excitement resumes and thoughts of retirement fade from Sebastian's thoughts.
The Seattle Riot had a very active offseason, making several trades to acquire players and picks, both for the S34 draft and for future drafts. The Riot traded a S36 first round pick for Mattias Holmberg, a skilled, veteran defender formerly playing for New England, as well as trading Jackson Cartier and a S35 1st to Portland for centerman Teodors Cukurs and change (after Buffalo’s tampering caused a deal fall through). During the draft, Seattle drafted prospect Roddie Hawkins and immediately traded him to the Edmonton Blizzard for future picks and some cap space, and picked up Cameron Dubois as a defensive prospect.
Seattle did lose veteran winger Jed Lloren to free agency - despite saying he might stick with the Riot, he decided to head across the country and join up with West Kendall for at least one season, as well as declining to extend the contract of inactive winger Luka Zaitsev (who was then picked up by the Stampede).
The Riot also had a merry time on April 1st, with Seattle’s management supposedly abdicating in favor of Viatcheslav Orlov, resulting in Trevor Wilson, Cory Knouse, and Patrick Brumm each demanding trades. Naturally, it turned out to be nothing but a hoax, and a rather obvious one at that; the few that fell for it were mocked mercilessly.
It was a no easy offseason for the Buffalo Stampede. A lot have happen during the season change. All started with a shocking announcement that Buffalo will lose their S34 1st round pick during a strange tampering case. That wasn't even all, also Buffalos first line Center Nicolas Winter was involved in this situation which lead to a 25 game suspension for him. The loss of the 1st round pick was hard, but losing Winter hurt them much more. But time went on and draft day was next on the list. With one pick less as excepted, Buffalo had to choose wisely and the management did a good job in picking Prince George Firebirds Dani Forsberg. The young forward already showed his talent during the training camp, what could be a promising career in Buffalo for him. FA starts and Buffalo was hoping to land some defender and for the open spots in their top 6. But they didn't have much luck and none of the rare FA's signed in Buffalo. Even their own hometown hero didn't want to extend his contract immediately. After a long waiting for his signing, Robb Wind announced he has signed a contract in Toronto and will leave Buffalo. So the young guns have to step up and take the open spots. It will be a though season for Buffalo and instead of battling for another playoff appearance they probably will battling for the 1 OV in S35 draft.
Alexander Wachter, RW, S51 Carolina Kraken - Texas Renegades - Winnipeg Aurora Player Page // Update Page
After a disappointing end to the season with the Hamilton Steelhawks barley missing out on the playoffs at the end after a promising start to the season, they went into to off season to continue adding even more talent to their plethora of young up and coming players. Things started off great for the Steelhawks in the off season as they won the lottery getting the 1st and 3rd overall picks in the draft. With the 1st overall pick the Steelhawks selected what became the consensus number pick going into the draft Jakub Trocheck a very talented defenseman. With their next pick the Steelhawks would pick Noro Wozy a teammate of Trocheck as Hamilton Continues to pick a million Falcons players. The Steelhawks then capped off their draft by drafting two goalies in Jimmy Wagner and Landon Boeing as well as another winger in Robert Haugen. So the Steelhawks will have plenty of options in the future to replace scrub Ben Waters as soon as possible. After the draft Hamilton made some inquiries in free agency but did not end up signing anyone major so they capped off their off season by trading a 2nd round pick for Issac Kaiser.
My offseason consisted of excessive celebration and gloating and I’m paying for it now. I’m in my third season in Juniors and to be honest, seeing a lot of my classmates getting called up before me is a little frustrating. I played like a god for nineteen games in the playoffs and took home a few trophies but I’m already being outworked by rookies. I need to find my mojo. Somewhere between taking those trophies homes and drinking a ton of Crown Royal from the Four Star Cup, I lost my mojo. My training has been slacking and while I’m not worried about not getting called up to play for the greatest team in the SHL, I need to make sure that they do not regret picking me in the second. I also need to make everyone who didn’t draft me regret that decision. However, after making huge steps forward last offseason, I feel like I have taken a few steps back and feel like I’ve gotten too big for my own pads. I need to regain my focus and get back to basics. I can’t even blame the long offseason like a lot of these salty vets and rookies do. This one’s on me.
ztevans Registered
S37 Challenge Cup Champion and zcookiez zdealerz
In a surprise move, the Winnipeg Jets underwent a management change during this offseason. Scott Robertson stepped down as General Manager of the Jets franchise, a position he had held since Season 31. Luke Fleming was promoted from Assistant General Manager to run the franchise, but Fleming’s first order of business was naming his successor and new assistant.
At first glance, the logical choice to fill the opening appeared to be Zach Evans, who was Assistant General Manager of the Detroit Falcons during Season 33. Several experts, including Platoon winger Slappy McDoodle on The Big Slappy Hour, quickly pegged Evans to fill the spot. However, Fleming is a sighted human being who saw the Falcons lose in the first round of the SMJHL playoffs last season and said to himself, “Self, that Evans looks like a complete scrub. I can’t hire him.â€
Thus, Fleming began an extensive clandestine search to find anyone not named Zach Evans to become his new assistant. One homeless man on Portage Avenue offered to take on the role in exchange for one box of Timbits per day, but could not provide proper documentation to Jets human resources to clear a background check. Fleming reached out to current NHL Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice, which briefly confused Maurice before he ultimately declined. Fleming even received an application from the bronze statue of Leafs4Ever sitting outside the arena, but was disturbed to wake up and learn it was just a dream. Thus, he was left with no choice but to hire Evans after all, and we are all the worse for it.
Third time is the charm, right? This offseason, the West Kendall Platoon signed free agent Jed Lloren for what will be his third and hopefully final stint with the team. The passing winger had a bit of a following as he publicized his search for his next destination. Though he flirted with the idea of signing with many different teams, ultimately, Lloren chose his beloved West Kendall as the site where, he stated, he will most likely retire. This came as a surprise to exactly nobody, considering how much and how fondly Lloren has spoken of returning to the team that drafted him. Lloren was a draftmate of player coach Bojo Biscuit, with whom he remains very good friends, and despite previous betrayals and departures, the team welcomed him back with open arms after his signing. Playing on West Kendall's first line, Lloren currently has 10 points in 13 games and a +3 rating. Though the team is doing much poorer than expected, Lloren's surprising scoring contributions as well as his expected teamwork skills have most certainly made him worth the Platoon's efforts to acquire him. Look for Lloren at the top of the Platoon's scoreboards this season as he seeks to bring them back their first cup in fucking forever.
The Toronto North Stars had a very busy offseason. After falling short in the Eastern Conference finals, the North Stars felt they had a team that could contend now. The only thing is they need is some complimentary pieces to try and compete with the beast in the east, the New England Wolfpack.
The first major move was the announcement made by starting goaltender, Mark Harter, would be looking to sign elsewhere when free agency opened. The long standing starter eventually signed with the Portland Admirals later in the free agency signing period. This would move Jeff Kirkstone to the starting role, as he served backup the last two seasons. Kirkstone had been deemed the future starter, but it may have a couple seasons earlier than thought, as he was a S31 draftee. After the Harter signing, the North Stars would go out and sign veteran backup, and one time starter, Tyler No Nerves to backup the young
A major move was made before the S34 draft when the North Stars acquired long time veteran, Zallerras Szlerchek, from the Manhattan Rage. The move cost the North Stars the 10th overall pick in the S34 draft, and a possible 2nd round pick in S35 if Szlerchek’s picks up his player’s option, if he doesn’t the North Stars will receive a 2nd round pick instead. At one point, Big Z was a top 10 center, but now is simply a role playing winger that will help add depth to the Toronto roster. He is coming off a 44 point season, so the North Stars will look for some of those offensive instincts to continue.
One of the more controversial moves, or shall we say players, was the signing of Reed Laing. Laing had made it very apparent they were unhappy in Portland and wanted out. The trade route seemed out of the question, so Portland bought them out. With some confusion as to the timing of the announcements, Buffalo would see their team get penalized by league policy. Toronto would ask Portland management for permission to speak with Laing, and a deal would be struck shortly thereafter. Laing is obviously a talented player, but their situation in Portland makes it a gamble. Toronto is willing to take that gamble in order to bring home their first cup.
The last move may have been the biggest and most surprising move of the offseason. Extremely late in the free agency period, the Toronto North Stars signed Robb Wind to a multi-season contract. Wind had been a big piece of the Buffalo Stampede for 9 seasons, and hopes to bring the offensive talents he had there to Toronto. He will help solidify the top 6 in Toronto’s forward corps, and hopefully is the last piece for the North Stars title run.
After a disappointing end to the playoffs which saw the Halifax Raiders be eliminated by the Montreal Militia in the conference finals, there were many changes that were made during the off season. Remaining with the team from last season are top center Brandon Gauthier, top defenseman Zander Rhys, and a supporting cast of Zanarkand Abes, Kip O'Callahan, Vinny Marino, and Gail Kaperkanen. The players that have left us this past season are Sepp Reiter who was called up by Calgary, Frankie Latta who was traded back to Vancouver and later retired, rookie signee Chuck Goody Jr who was drafted, unsung goaltending hero Max Smith-Frey who was released and Max Russakoff who dropped from the face of the earth.
The draft saw Halifax fill some holes within their lineup. Gord McKenzie and Kevin St. Lauren were added to fill much needed holes within the Halifax bottom 6. Trucker Grogan was added as a potential top 4 defenseman with the departure of Zander Rhys after the season. The biggest move of the off season was the drafting of Jordin FourFour Jr who filled a much needed hole in the goaltending position that Halifax has had an issue with since the departure of Pel. While not a beast at this moment, he is expected to be the face of the franchise.
The S34 offseason for the Portland Admirals was one which saw many more steps in the right direction for a championship, bringing the already active team some much needed extra firepower to bolster their lines. The Admirals had three notable acquisitions this offseason, all of whom are elite players, tried and true veterans of the SHL. The first notable signing was Goalie Mark Harter. An S22 draftee, Harter has been a brick wall in the net his entire career, also being a star netminder for Team Russia. This provides much peace of mind for the Portland defense, as they’ve now got a goalie whose prowess would forgive occasional defensive mistakes. With the calling up of Kyle Wahlgren, a rising star in his own right, Portland arguably has the best goalie corps in the entire league Another addition to the team was Pedro Sarantez, a star winger, most recently of the largely successful Edmonton Blizzard. Sarantez adds to the already filled out top six of the Admirals, and allows for mismatches on the third and fourth lines offensively, forcing teams to constantly play all out when against the Admirals. A final pickup this offseason was the signing of D-man Jackson Cartier, an S28 draftee. Cartier again helps fill out the Portland team, adding to the mix not only his impressive defensive skills, but also his fantastic playmaking abilities. These signings mark a new era for the Portland Admirals, an era filled with imminent and frequent successes.
raymond3000 Registered
S11, S35 Challenge Cup Champion
Posts:3,725 Threads: 106 Joined: Nov 2011 Reputation:36
Pronouns: Undisclosed
Player: Andreas Kvalheim
After a gut-wrenching Game Seven loss against the New England Wolfpack, the eventual Challenge Cup Champions, the Toronto North Stars quickly set their sights on improving their team for S34. Determined to win a Challenge Cup, general managers Andrey Barbashev and Cynthia Taylor perhaps the most active management team during the off-season, bringing in major pieces to solidify their roster. First up was the acquisition of forward Zalleras Szlerchek from the Manhattan Rage in a sign and trade deal. The veteran, known as 'Big Z', brings a boatload of experience and is still a top player in the SHL. He has slotted in well in Toronto, setting up snipers like Damien Wert and Kristian Eriksson with pinpoint passes. The North Stars were also active in the free agent market, bringing in a pair of top six forwards in Reed Laing and Robb Wind. Laing, involved in the Buffalo tampering scandal, was the centre of controversy during the offseason, and ultimately chose to sign with Toronto. Laing was brought in the provide a physical element to a relatively soft Toronto team, and she has done that and more as she is currently leading the team in scoring. Robb Wind also had connections with Buffalo, as he was their first ever draft pick and he had played there his entire career. Looking for a fresh start after his career stagnated, Wind is no longer a hot shot prospect, and may never become elite, but he still has plenty of offense to give.
The Hamilton Steelhawks were certainly down on their luck upon the conclusion of S33. Their final record of 20-24-6 was only good for a 6th place finish in the SHL's Eastern Conference, after they had predicted themselves to finish in 4th or perhaps 5th. A group of up-and-comers who had everything to gain and nothing to lose found themselves on the losing end once again.
Then came the Season 34 Entry Draft Lottery. Via a pick acquired by Hamilton from the Winnipeg Jets, the Steelhawks won the esteemed honor of the 1st overall pick. With that pick, it was absolutely no question on anyone in the league's mind that Jakub Trocheck was to be a Steelhawk. With the third pick, the pick that the Steelhawks had earned from their awful finish, they selected Trocheck's teammate Noro Wozy--almost a necessity if you were to pick Jakub, according to nearly every SMJHL scout that night.
To add to this great day, the Steelhawks managed to pick up an absolute steal in St Louis Scarecrows netminder Jimmy Wagner all the way down at 19th overall. It was a gutsy decision to not pick him with an earlier pick, but the gamble certainly paid off, and now Hamilton has a very good class of rookies moving forward.
If you factor in this great draft night with the re-signing of defensive stalwart Ludwig Koch Schroder--who ultimately decided to come back to Hamilton after a melodramatic, tumultuous performance for all to see--Hamilton had one of the best offseasons in all the league. Now it's time for these young Hawks to put their money where their mouths are and claim a playoff spot in Season 34!
Sean![[Image: TommySalami.gif]](https://sig.grumpybumpers.com/host/TommySalami.gif)
![[Image: wachter3.png]](https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/383140248647106560/704451686718242836/wachter3.png)
![[Image: Kylrad2.gif]](https://sig.grumpybumpers.com/host/Kylrad2.gif)
![[Image: Kylrad.gif]](https://sig.grumpybumpers.com/host/Kylrad.gif)
![[Image: v1uynGf.png]](https://i.imgur.com/v1uynGf.png)
![[Image: WuTGq5J.png]](https://i.imgur.com/WuTGq5J.png)
![[Image: shlpris41.gif]](http://sig.grumpybumpers.com/host/shlpris41.gif)
![[Image: FJ4Sjuj.png]](http://i.imgur.com/FJ4Sjuj.png)
|![[Image: apAE8qn.png]](http://i.imgur.com/apAE8qn.png)
| ![[Image: uEsOaLl.png]](http://i.imgur.com/uEsOaLl.png)
![[Image: 2dtdoyf.png]](http://i41.tinypic.com/2dtdoyf.png)
![[Image: BUzKbLn.png]](https://i.imgur.com/BUzKbLn.png)
![[Image: 5p7vOwY.png]](https://i.imgur.com/5p7vOwY.png)
| ![[Image: NA3IV5m.png]](https://i.imgur.com/NA3IV5m.png)
![[Image: bclD7fn.png]](https://i.imgur.com/bclD7fn.png)
![[Image: 17307_s.gif]](https://signavatar.com/17307_s.gif)
GCool![[Image: OaSEcaw]](https://imgur.com/OaSEcaw)
